Introduction to Thornbridge Outdoors

Thornbridge Outdoors:
　　

‘Provides outdoor education and environmental activities for groups, training courses, an event venue, management training and accommodation for weekends in the peak district,’ (Thornbridge Outdoors, 2011a).

It’s run by Sheffield City Council with the objective of providing good coaching, enjoyable activities and leadership as well as make a profit. There are ten members of staff employed by Thornbridge Outdoors and their jobs range from coaching mountain biking to cleaning the rooms.

A coaching session, whether it’s for beginners or experienced people, takes approximately 3 hours meaning that two can be fit in in a day. The jobs of the cycling coach is to plan and coach mountain biking skills safely as well as clean the bikes and make sure they’re in good condition (Fairest, 2011). The coach that I was working with is a Level 3 cycling coach under British Cycling for the mountain biking award as well as for the road and time-trialling award. The road and time trialling award allows him too:

‘plan, deliver and evaluate a series of safe, ethical and effective road and time trial coaching sessions,’ (British Cycling, 2011).

This shows that to have this job it’s essential to have a level 2 cycling qualification so you can plan coaching sessions. Other roles in the organisation include leading other outdoor activities where safety is essential. Leadership is vital. This is explained in more detail on the fifth blog.

The aim of the organisation is to give customers good facilities and coaching to make them want to come again. The facilities include:

‘an extensive 55-acre site in an idyllic setting, accommodation for 60 people, a camping area, meeting rooms, cycle trails and various onsite activities,’ (Thornbridge Outdoors, 2011b).

In the time that I spent their the majority of people who were coached were senior school children. Thornbridge Outdoors have developed a good reputation with local schools and have the same teacher’s from the same school’s come back year after year with a different group of school children. This gives them constant custom every year.

Having looked on the website and asked members of staff it appears that they don't have a mission statement. A mission statement:

'sets an organisation's purpose, guiding values and principles and the way in which it intends to achieve its objectives, while recognising the interests of other stakeholders,' (Mullins, 2010, age 828).

The long term aim is to become more recognised outside of Derbyshire and attract schools from other areas as well as attracting more people to come for days out or holidays in the area (Fairest, 2011).

Bibliography

British Cycling. (2011). Level 2 Road and Time Trial Coaching Award. [Online] Available from: http://www.britishcyling.org.uk/coaching/article/coast Level 2 Road-and-Time-Trial-Coaching-Award--0. [Accessed 31^st October 2011].

Fairest, M. British cycling coach. (Personal communication, 13^th December 2011).
Thornbridge Outdoors. (2011a).

Mullins, L.J. (2010). Management & organisational behaviour. 9th ed. Great Britain: Pearson Education Limited.

Thornbridge Outdoors. Thornbridge Outdoors. [Online] Available from: http://www.thornbridgeoutdoors.co.uk/. [Accessed 2^nd January 2012].

Thornbridge Outdoors. (2011b). About Thornbridge Outdoors. [Online] Available from: http://thornbridgeoutdoors.co.uk/about-thornbridge-outdoors.php. [Accessed 2^nd January 2012].